Bobbin package



March 11, 1952 J. B. w. ANDREW, JR

BOBBIN PACKAGE Filed-Aug. 14, 1948 .w 2 we /..mw B -I W5 k W A w A i g F;

Patented Mar. 11, 1952 BOBBIN PACKAGE James B. W. Andrew, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., as-

signor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 14, 1948, Serial No. 44,369

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a wrap of paperboard or the like for yarn bobbins or the like. More specifically, the invention relates to such a bobbin Wrap which is self-locking, that is, which is locked in its bobbin-enclosing set-up condition by engagement with the bobbin itself, and by the same operation which results in the bobbin being enclosed in the wrap, with no separate or additional locking means or operations required.

Bobbins for rayon yarn and the like are commonly formed with flanges or end plates and with a flanged knob projecting from one of the plates by means of which the bobbin may be handled without damage to the yarn wound thereon. To protect the yarn from damage by abrasion or other causes during storage, handling, and shipment, yarn bobbins are commonly enclosed in a paperboard wrap of hollow tubular shape. Some sort of locking means must be employed to hold the wrap in its bobbin-enclosing condition, and ordinarily some type of locking means additional to the wrap proper is provided. My wrap has closing or top flaps which overlap in the closing position and frictionally engage with the bobbin knob to lock the wrap. More specifically, one of the flaps has a slot of which a portion engages frictionally about a major portion of the circumference of the knob neck, while the opposing flap may be formed either with a similar slot or with its edge so cut that an edge portion also frictionally engages a part of the neck circumference. Additionally, the thickness of the wrap material is preferably such that the double thickness provided by the overlapped flaps is greater than the height or length of the neck, so that the flaps are frictionally engaged between the knob flare or flange and the top and plate, thus increasing the security of the lock. Furthermore, the height of the wrap may be slightly lass than that of the spool portion of the bobbin, that is, the distance between the outer surfaces of the end plates, so that a force is imposed on the top flaps andbottom wall tending to bow or bend them, providing additional resistance to accidental unlocking of the wrap. The wrap proper thus serves as its own locking means, and no separate or additional locking means or operations are required.

It is an object of my invention to provide a bobbin wrap or the like which is automatically locked in its bobbin-protecting condition by the same operations which place it in such condition. Another object is the provision of a bobbin wrap in which the means for locking the wrap in bobbin-enclosing condition are provided by the wrap proper. A further object is the provision of a bobbin wrap which is secured in bobbinenclosing condition by frictional engagement of its top flaps with the bobbin. Still another object is the provision of a bobbin wrap in which the closing or top flaps are locked in closing position by frictional engagement of edge portions thereof with the neck of a knob on the bobbin. An additional object is to provide a bobbin wrap in which overlapping closing flaps are employed the combined thickness of which is such that they are frictionally engaged between the flange of a bobbin knob and the bobbin end from which it projects and thus locked in closing position. A still further object is to provide a bobbin wrap with closing flaps engaging a knob projecting from the bobbin, which wrap is so formed as to impose a bending force on the flaps to augment their engagement with the knob for securely locking the flaps in closing position. It is also an object to provide a bobbin wrap which is easily set up from blank form and disposed about a bobbin, with the wrap securely locked merely by the operation of disposing it about the bobbin. Yet another object is to provide a simple blank with minimum waste of material for a wrap which achieves the foregoing objects.

Other and further objects, advantages, and features of the bobbin wrap of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a wrap embodying my invention, with a bobbin disposed therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-4 of Fig. 1, with a part of another wrap also indicated; and

Fig. 3 is a plan of a blank for the wrap of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the bobbin wrap III of Fig. 1 is set up from the blank II of Fig. 3, which comprises a substantially rectangular sheet of paperboard or the like having parallel transverse fold lines I2-. The lines I2 define a central bottom wall panel I3, a pair of side wall panels I4, one on each side of the panel I3, and terminal top flap panels I5 each connected to one of the panels I4. By folding the blank I I on the lines I2, it is set up into the wrap I 0, with the bottom wall I3, side walls I4, and overlapped top flaps I5. The same reference numerals are used for the parts of both the blank and wrap, since the blank parts, of course, form the corresponding parts of wrap without any change except in position.

Four slots I6 extend inwardly from the outer edge of each of the panels l5, each slot having a closed end portion 11. The correspondin slots in the panels 15 are axially alined. End tongues 18 are defined between the outermost slots 16 and end edges of the panels l5, and intermediate tongues N are defined between adjacent slots, as will be clear from Fig. 3. Of course, it may be considered that the slots iii are defined by the edges of the tongues.

A bobbin 20 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 which has a bottom flange or end plate 21 and a top end plate 22 connected by a core 23. A knob which projects from the plate 22 has a relatively short or low neck 24 with a flange 25 formed on its outer end. The height of the neck 24 is preferably relatively small, so that wrap material may conveniently be employed such that twice its thickness is greater than the height of the neck 24. Yarn Y wound on the bobbin 20 is indicated in broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The width of the bottom wall [3 is substantially equal to the diameter of the bottom plate 2|, so that this plate fits snugly between the side walls M of the wrap, and the centers of the closed end portions H of the slots iii are spaced apart a distance at least equal to the plate 2| diameter. The closed end portions I! are shaped to correspond to more than half the circumference of the necks 24, of course being open at their junctures with the edges of the outer portions of the slots l6. Since the knob necks are ordinarily cylindrical, the slot portions H are shown as defined by arcs of somewhat more than 180. The height of the side walls I4 may be slightly less than the height of the bobbin proper, that is, the distance between the outer surfaces of the plates 2! and 22, for a reason explained hereinafter. i

The bobbins are secured in the wrap in, and the wrap locked in bobbin-enclosing condition, by means of the top flaps IS. The bobbins 20 are placed upright on the bottom wall N3, the side walls [4 swung upwardly toward each other, and the top flaps simultaneously swung downwardly so that as the side walls move to vertical positions the top flaps will be moved in substantially horizontal planes. The necks 24 of the bobbins are thus engaged by the oppositely directed slots i6, and as the top flaps I5 assume their closing position overlapping each other the closed end portions ll of the slots engage frictionally about major portions of the neck circumferences. It will be clear that the outer portions of the slots l6 which are narrower than the neck diameter must be forced past the necks, but the inherent resilience of paperboard permits this without permanent deformation of the material. The engagement of the slot end portions ll about the necks 24 locks the top flaps Is in their closing position, or in other words locks the wrap [0 in its bobbin-protecting condition, without requiring any tongue and slot connection between a top flap and side wall or any other additional locking means. At the same time, of course, the bobbins are secured in the wrap and held against shifting which might result in damage to the yarn. The wrap is locked in closed condition by the same operation by which it is set up and assembled about the bobbins.

Although additional locking means are not necessary, the fact that the necks 24 are commonly of less height than twice the thickness of the wrap material, or more accurately that the wra aterial may be of such thickness that a double ply has a greater height than the necks 24, is utilized to provide greater security. The overlapped top flaps 15, at the portions adjacent the slot edges which engage the necks 2d, are wedged or jammed between the knob flanges 25 and the top plates 22. This frictional engagement of the top flaps between the bobbin parts provides additional locking of the flaps in their closing position without requiring any additional material or wrapping operations.

If the side walls It; be made shorter than the bobbin proper by a slight margin, as suggested above, the hinged edges of the top flaps i5 and the edges of the bottom wall i3 will be drawn towards each other when the wrap is secured about the bobbins. In other words, a bending force will be imposed on the top flaps and bottom wall. The result or" this, so far as the top flaps are concerned, is to augment their locking engagement with the bobbin knobs, since the flaps tend to spring upwardly and thus resist any tendency to be drawn horizontally out of engagement with the knob. The locking of the wrap is thus rendered still more secure. The effect of the bending force on the bottom wall [3 is not of particular concern, but it may be explained that because of the weight of the bobbins, the fact that the bottom bobbin plates 21 extend clear across the bottom It, and the fact that the bottom wall is not weakened by slots as are the top flaps, any bending or bowing of the bottom wall 13 is negligible.

It will be evident from what has already been stated that the top flaps l5 need not be of identical formation, and also that they may be formed otherwise than as in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. The top flaps need not be of substantially the same width as the bottom wall l3, as shown, although it is preferable that at least one of the flaps have such width because of the greater strength and rigidity imparted to the wrap and the greater security of the lock. The end tongues 18 or the center tongue 19, or both, may be omitted from one of the flaps l5 and a secure lock obtained, since both flaps will have edge portions in good frictional engagement with the bobbin necks 24 and between the knob flanges 25 and top plates 22. In other words, the lateral edges of the tongues frictionally engage portions of the neck circumferences.

It may also be pointed out that although the slots IS in the top flaps i5 are shown as openended, extending to the free edges of the flaps, they might be otherwise formed. For example, the slots might be closed and of generally keyhole shape, with the larger portions adapted to clear the knob flanges 25 and the smaller portions corresponding to the closed end portions 11 as disclosed. The necessary slight change in the manner of applying the wrap to the bobbins. in case such a slot construction is employed, is so obvious as not to require extended explanation. Briefly, the top flaps l5 would be swung down over the knobs with the knobs projecting through the larger keyhole slot portions, and then moved horizontally to engage the smaller slot portions frictionally with the necks 25 as in the case of the illustrated embodiment.

The wrap I0 has been shown and described as formed to carry four bobbins, since this is the usual number which can conveniently be handled together, but it will be obvious that the wrap may readily be adapted for any desired number of bobbins.

The wraps with the bobbins held therein are usually packed in shipping containers in stacked or tiered relation, as indicated in Fig. 2, with the bottom wall I3 of one wrap resting on the knobs of the bobbins in the next lower wrap. By reason of the secure lock provided by the wrap construction of this invention, weaving of the containers and other strains, shocks, and jars to which they are subjected in shipment, handling, and storage will not result in the wraps coming unlocked and consequent shifting about of the bobbins with almost certain damage to the yarn.

Although the wrap has been described as provided for yarn bobbins, it, of course, is equally applicable to bobbins or the like for other material than yarn, such as thread, ribbon, wire or the like.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, in which structural changes of the i1- lustrated apparatus are suggested, variations and modifications ma be made without departing from the principle of the invention, and accordingly it is not intended to limit the invention except as required by the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A yarn bobbin package comprising a paperboard wrap and a bobbin having an end plate from which there extends a knob element including an outer flange and a restricted neck portion of predetermined length and. diameter between the flange and end plate, said paperboard wrap comprising a bottom wall, a pair of side walls hinged on opposite edges of the bottom wall, and a pair of top flaps each hinged on the upper edge of a side wall and overlapping when in closed position, one of said flaps having a slot therein with a closed end portion frictionally engaging a major part of the circumference of the bobbin neck portion, the other flap being formed with an edge portion frictionally engaging a major portion of the neck circumference in opposed relation to a part of said closed end portion, the thickness of the two overlapped flaps being slightly greater than the length of the bobbin knob neck for frictional engagement of said overlapped flaps between the knob flange and end plate in closed position, the frictional engagements of the flaps with the neck circumference and the frictional engagement of the overlapped flaps between the flange and the end plate of the bobbin serving to lock the flaps in closed position.

JAMES B. W. ANDREW, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

